


Wanted!

by Debi_C



Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-03
Updated: 2017-09-03
Packaged: 2018-12-23 04:21:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 19,975
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11982027
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Debi_C/pseuds/Debi_C
Summary: Daniel is wanted for the murder of Jack O'Neill





	Wanted!

Daniel entered the squalid hotel room, securely dead-bolted the door behind him and leaned back against the cheap avocado colored wall paneling. "Crap! What a mess." Quoted his head's Jack voice. "How did this happen?" He could only squeeze his eyes shut to block out the hot, long-held tears. It was too late to change anything, too late to undo what had happened, just too damn late. But he had to figure it out. Not for him, there was no help for him, but for Jack. He had to find out who killed his best friend and lover, Jack O'Neill.

He couldn't go to his own place. His apartment was being watched, he was sure. And if he'd wanted to go to his real home, he couldn't go there either. Jack's house had been secured by the Colorado Springs Police Department, NORAD's Security Forces, the Air Force Office of Special Investigations and the NID. He realized that he didn't even know what NID stood for, National something or other, he was sure. It didn't really matter at this point. Nothing really mattered anymore.

Except that he knew that he was the number one suspect on the hit parade of who murdered Jack O'Neill. After the crime scene had been discovered, They (with a capital 't') had found a lot of his stuff at Jack's house. Some of his clothes, his books, his laptop, and his implicating fingerprints all over the place . . . and some in places that they shouldn't have been . . . like Jack's bedroom, the bathroom off the bedroom, the dresser, the bed, the telephone by the bed, the lamp.. Why had they ever thought that they could be safe anyway? Nothing they did was safe, certainly not their life's work. Why would they even begin to think that their private life was sacrosanct?

And Jack. Well, Jack was not only the leader of SG1, but the Vice Commander of the SGC. Jack had known that his house had been bugged during the sting to recover the stolen alien devices by the splinter NID group. Teal'c had always known his quarters in the mountain was under surveillance. Hell, they'd bugged Sam's place when she started seeing Orlin, her alien visitor. Why would they stop there? Why should they? They'd probably all been spied upon since the beginning. Who wouldn't suspect him, the 'flaky on a good day' civilian consultant, of being worth the trouble to put under the microscope? Privacy? What a laugh. He tried to laugh, but it turned into a sob.

And now, with Jack's death, well . . . there were just too many things that couldn't be explained away.

Daniel sat down on the hard double bed in the hotel room. Jack's death. He didn't get it. He couldn't believe it. He couldn't be dead, not his passionate, indestructible lover. Not the O'Neill with the stupid grin, the six-pack abs, the hard biceps, the tight ass, and the long lean legs that wrapped around you and drew you down into a hot, heaving, sweaty heaven of passionate emotion. Not Jack. Not his Jack. It was too much to wrap his head around.

They hadn't even let him see the scene of the crime. There was just a call for him at the entrance of the Mountain when he'd reported to work that morning. "Doctor Jackson, General Hammond needs you in the briefing room immediately." He'd gone, of course. He'd expected there to be an emergency waiting for him; a dead language, an odd dialect, an unreadable cuneiform. And there would be Sam, Teal'c and a live-wire, wisecracking Jack. But, what he found was a distressed Hammond, a grieving Sam, a stoic Teal'c, a smug Simmons , , , and an empty chair.

The tall dark NID officer looked at him and asked in his best official tone. Hammond sighed and looked at him. "Doctor Jackson, when was the last time you saw Colonel O'Neill?"

{flashback}

It had been three o'clock in the morning when his lover was bent over him solicitously. "Danny, ya gotta get up. Rise and shine."

"What? What time is it?"

"Oh three hundred in the AM. Ya gotta go and save the galaxy, babe."

"Can't the galaxy be saved at a decent hour?" He rolled over and blinked up into Jack's warm brown eyes. "Does it have to be so early?"

"Hey, it's probably just early dusk in Yugo-town. You've already wasted half a day." The teasing voice cajoled him softly. "Come on, action Jackson. You're burning daylight." Soft lips grazed lightly over his.

Daniel kissed him back sleepily, wrapping his arms around the other man. "Don't wanna go. Wanna stay with you."

"Nope, gotta go. I've got Bob Smith all primed. He's been fully briefed on the rules of borrowing my Archaeologist. If you don't go now, I've wasted some damn good threats on him." Jack pulled away. "This was your idea, after all."

"Mumft." He blinked and stretched. "God, can't I call in sick?"

"Nah, too much paperwork. Come on, I'll fix you breakfast."

Daniel rolled out of their shared love-nest and sat on the side of the bed. "No, Jack. Go back to sleep." He began to pull on his trousers that had been laying on the floor. "I'll go home, shower and change clothes then grab something at Starbucks on the way to work. You get some more sleep."

Jack stretched back out on the bed and propped the pillow up behind his head and watched his lover finish dressing. "Oh, okay, if you say so." He smiled like the cat that swallowed the canary. "I do have to sew some buttons on that shirt and see if the jeans are salvageable. I think you broke the zipper."

"I'll buy you a new pair when I get back." Daniel had smiled down at Jack's expression..

"And I'll buy some more of that wine if it will make you act like all the time. Babe, you were hot last night."

"It's not the wine, Jack. It's the partner." Daniel bent down and kissed him again. "Damn, I hate to leave now. You look so . . . "

Jack arched an eyebrow. "Easy?"

"Fuckable."

"Why Doctor Jackson," Jack flopped back onto his pillow, pulled the blanket up to his chin and commented in a high falsetto. "Is that a word?"

"If it isn't, it should be when applied to you." He leaned in for another hurried kiss. "Damn, I've got to go, Jack. I'll see you Tuesday."

"I'll be counting the days. Come back to me safe, okay?"

"Yeahchuryabettcha."

Two days later, he had entered the briefing room and looked around expectantly. General Hammond was in his customary blue uniform. Teal'c was in slacks and button down shirt. Sam was still in her black leather motorcycle jacket over her red tee-shirt and jeans. Colonel Simmons was wearing a smile.

General Hammond soberly nodded toward his usual chair. "Have a seat Doctor Jackson."

He pulled the chair away from the table, noticing Sam's red, bloodshot eyes and flushed face. Hammond looked like he'd just aged twenty years. Teal'c just looked angry. Simmons, on the other hand, was almost bouncing in his chair.

Hammond sighed and looked at him. "Doctor Jackson, when was the last time you saw Colonel O'Neill?"

"Well, Sunday I went with SG13 to Yogonda. Saturday night, when he went to bed, he'd said he was going to do some yard work" He looked over the General. It was a small lie, Jack had been laying in bed Sunday watching him as he had dressed. "I left Jack's house early, went to my apartment to change clothes and reported for the mission. We left at eight on Sunday morning. Then yesterday, I was with them and we didn't get back until late yesterday evening. Why?"

"So, Doctor Jackson, you were with him the night before. You see him the night before?" The NID Colonel looked at him with an evil anticipatory joy.

"Well, yes. We all went over and watched a movie then had dinner at his house." He looked to Sam and Teal'c who nodded their agreement. "I had a little too much to drink so I spent the night at Jack's house." He glanced around the table. "Teal'c drove Sam home and I stayed over." Then he asked suspiciously. "Why? What's going on?"

Hammond heaved a large deep sigh. "Doctor Jackson, As you know, Sunday was a down day for SG1 and then Colonel O'Neill didn't report for duty yesterday. When he didn't come in by late afternoon we started a search. I asked Major Carter and Teal'c to go to his house and look for him. Doctor Jackson, Colonel O'Neill is missing."

"Missing? Jack is missing? Are you sure? " He stopped in mid- sentence and looked at the downcast eyes of his teammates. He could tell it was the truth, and Jack didn't go missing, at least not without a word or, at a bare minimum, a note.

Sam looked up at him and blinked back what could only be tears. "We searched his house, called everyone we could think of, Daniel. He's not there and there were no messages. The truck's in the garage, the house was locked." She swallowed convulsively. "When we went into his bedroom, we found his shirt on the floor with some of the buttons missing, the zipper on his jeans was broken and . . . " She stopped again when her voice caught then continued. "there was blood on the bed; a lot of blood." Sam looked at him directly, pleadingly. "Daniel, when did you see him last? Did you see him Sunday morning before you left?"

He could only sit in his chair, stunned with the shock of the picture he was conjuring in his head. Jack . . . missing . . . Jack . . . hurt . . . Jack . . . Jack. Where was Jack?

He must have sat there for a time unresponsive. The next thing he remembered was General Hammond's voice calling him. "Doctor Jackson? Son, are you all right? Daniel?"

Daniel could only shake his head. Jack, Sunday morning. Oh, my God. Jack.

"Daniel?" It was Sam's voice this time. "Daniel?"

"Jack? Jack's . . . missing?"

"Yes, Doctor Jackson, Jack's missing." It was Simmons' smug voice this time. "Would you happen to know where he's at? You were the last person to see him alive. He was alive when you saw him, wasn't he?"

He could only look around the table in shock. Jack? Jack? Their faces didn't seem real. It had to be a dream. But if it was a dream, where was Jack?

"What's the matter, Daniel? A cat got your tongue?"

"Simmons, that's enough." Hammond's voice rumbled threateningly. "Daniel, when was the last time you saw the Colonel?"

He could only shake his head. Then, in a haze, he heard Colonel Simmons say "Doctor Daniel Jackson, you are under arrest for the murder of Colonel Jonathan O'Neill.

They had shown him the pictures of Jack's house. Simmons had gleefully laid them out in eight by ten squares in front of him. But they didn't mean much. The photos had only shown him the familiar bedroom looking very much like it had when he had turned off the lamp and left the room. Except for the large amount of blood that was soaked into the bedclothes and pillows. He had needed to close his eyes so that he wouldn't throw up right there in the briefing room. Oh, Jack.

Taking a deep breath, Daniel had looked at the photos again, the images of their bed were very clear. Even Jack's clothes were in the same place that they had dropped them the night before. The jeans were puddled at the foot of the bed, the shirt spread out with the buttons lying scattered around the garment. He remembered ripping the button down garment off of Jack as they had fallen sprawled across the mattress. Then he had roughly stripped the denims off his lover's bourgeoning erection that was hidden in their folds. Jack had been on fire, teasing him, faking him out, then pushing him back. He had been so excited that night, , his lover so wanton in his actions. Their lovemaking had been passionate, fun and more than a little rough. They'd known that Jack wasn't going off-world for a week so he'd left marks of ownership on the tanned skin. To claim his Colonel, he'd told Jack. So, he'd remember him until he came back. There had also probably been a bruise and a scrape or two the next day from the roughhousing . . . when Jack had been . . . when they had been . . . when he was . . .

He denied the scene, he'd denied any knowledge, he'd denied the reality. "No!" He said. "No, he couldn't be dead . . . not Jack."

Then, the Security Forces had come into the briefing room and asked him to stand up. They searched him, pulled his hands together in front of him and put the handcuffs on his wrists.

Carter had turned to Hammond. "Sir? You really don't believe this. Not Daniel."

Teal'c had stood with enough force to knock his chair over backwards to thud resoundingly on the carpeted floor. "Generalhammond, Danieljackson is not responsible for Oneill's disappearance. This is a mistake! I do not understand."

"Ah, well, Teal'c that's the beauty of the US Air Force. You do not have to understand . . . anything!"

"But . . . but Daniel's a civilian." Sam stated hotly. "You can't just . . . "

"Oh, but I can . . . " Simmons gloated. "Doctor Jackson may be a civilian, but he works on an Air Force installation. As such, he can be treated with the same . . . care . . . as you Major. You and your big alien too." The Colonel turned to face Hammond. "And since I'm working with the JAG on this case, General, there isn't anything you can do to stop me." Simmons jerked his head toward the door. "Take him to the car."

"General Hammond!" He could hear Sam's voice protesting his removal. Then, Hammond's lower tones. The two SFs were not any that he knew from the Gateroom detachment, so he assumed that they were from NORAD on the upper levels of Cheyenne Mountain. They wouldn't know him from anyone else nor would they care to. It was their job to escort him to the top level then on to Peterson Field Security Lock up, and he supposed that they were very good at their job. He went along quietly. He had no place else to be. Without Jack, he didn't care.

As they walked through the corridors of the SGC, Daniel could see the shocked expressions on his friends and acquaintances' faces. They had obviously known about Jack and it was simple arithmetic to put one and one together. Janet Fraiser stood close to Siler, the differences in their heights bringing attention to the odd pairing. The doctor could only watch as he was marched by her. He could tell by her expression that she was furious.

Once they reached the car park, Daniel was unceremoniously put into a white Air Force Police car and the doors were closed behind him. He dully watched Simmons get into another car. The Colonel was smiling and talking to the SF officer that had been in charge of the detail. The man was obviously enjoying himself. Daniel bent his head and stared down at his bound hands as he felt the car pull away from the SGC, from the only home he'd know for the past four years . . . other than Jack, of course.

They had been traveling down the steep mountain road for more than five minutes when the car jerked sharply to the left and braked suddenly. If he hadn't been seat-belted in, he would have impacted the back of the front seat by the change of direction.

Unexpectedly, the door was jerked open and hard hands reached into the back compartment and pulled him out of the vehicle. Masked people handed him off to more of their kind. Everything had been carried off in silence, no voices used that could be identified later. Daniel was then dragged down the steep mountainside to a back road where another car waited. It was a government-owned sedan from the motor pool. Then suddenly, his hands were free and a gun was pressed into his grip. He was released and a familiar voice whispered to him.

"Sorry, Daniel, it's the best we could do on short notice. You'll have to get another car pretty quick so they won't find you with this one." Lou Ferretti whispered urgently. "Here's a couple of hundred dollars to get you started."

"Lou? What . . . ?"

"Ah, hell, Daniel. We know you didn't kill the Colonel . . . and you've got the best chance of finding out who did it." A cell phone was handed to him. "Carter says she'll call you as soon as she can. Good luck. Now, get the hell out of here before Simmons notices that the SFs aren't following him any more."

"Lou?"

But the older man was gone. Daniel stared after his friend for a moment then climbed into the vehicle, started the engine and drove off down the side road.

(Present time)

Two days later, he was here in a hotel room, waiting for Sam. She'd phoned him on the cell that Ferretti had given to him. He'd told her not to come, not to take the risk, but she'd insisted. Someone would meet him here but he was a little late. He'd taken the long way around to the hotel to avoid anyone. The room had already been booked under the name of Mister Jacob. Daniel appreciated the joke.

Daniel heard a car pull up outside the room. He ducked into the bathroom, pulling the gun out of his coat pocket. I could be the NID or the FBI for all he knew. There was a tap on the door. "Jackson?"

Daniel dropped his gun and his head. Sighing, he went to the door. He knew that voice. Daniel pushed the door open slowly to see a short stocky figure standing impatiently on the sidewalk. "Maybourne?"

"Doctor Jackson."

"What are you doing here?"

The little ferret-faced man replied easily as he pushed his way into the room. "Major Carter sent me. I was sent. I owed a favor. I'm paying it back. Come on we have to leave now. You have friends in high places."

"Really? Who? The NID?" Daniel followed the shorter man inside the room.

Harry pointed up at the ceiling with his finger. "No, I mean really high places. Like in a Tok'ra Tel'tac. It seems that we have a mutual problem."

Daniel locked the door behind the other man and walked to the bed where he sat down and sighed. He looked up at his rescuer, "We have nothing in common, Maybourne."

"Ah c'mon, Danny. We've got Jack."

His expression turned from one of blankness to sadness. "Jack's dead, Maybourne."

Harry pulled a chair away from the wall and straddled it. "Look, Jackson. I know Jack O'Neill a hell of a lot better than you do. Don't be so quick to bury him."

"What do you mean?" Daniel looked up at him dully. "General Hammond said . . . "

"Like I said, don't bury the old bastard too quick." Harry looked at him knowingly. "O'Neill takes a whole lot of killing."

"Where is he?" Daniel looked suspiciously at the smaller man.

"Are you coming with me?"

Daniel pushed up off of the bed. "Yes."

"Don't you want to know how much it's gonna cost you?"

"No."

"Why?"

"I don't care."

Harry shrugged, shook his head, turned and led the way out of the room. Daniel followed.

As they left the room, Harry looked down the road and motioned for Daniel to hurry. They got into a small gray car and started to drive out of the parking lot. Three black suburbans pulled in at a high rate of speed. As they exited the parking lot, the other vehicles surrounded the motor pool car that Daniel had been driving. When they hit the roadway, Harry accelerated the small Chevy.

"That was close." He murmured. "Too damn close. Jackson, you owe me for this."

Daniel sat back in the seat and breathed a sigh of relief. "Where are you taking me?"

"To meet someone." He said simply. "Now, shut up and let me think. We can't go there directly, I need to figure a different way in now."

That suited Daniel. He had nothing to say to Harry Maybourne anyway.

 

After several hours of driving along mountain roads that took your breath away if you looked down, they came to a steep descent and down into a long narrow valley. The pavement changed to gravel and white dust coated the car's gray paint job. The small sedan continued on down the bumpy road until they came to a small cabin nestled in the trees. Harry turned off the ignition and looked at him. "This is it."

"What?"

"Now? Now we wait." The older man climbed out of the car and headed toward the building.

Daniel opened the door. "Wait? Wait for what?"

"Your ride." Harry pushed the door open, "Hey, I just do what I'm told."

"You do?" Daniel commented as he followed Maybourne inside and sat down on a worn looking couch.

"Listen Jackson, when a little grey guy appears in my bedroom in the middle of the night and tells me to go to a sleazy hotel to find you and bring you here, I do it." Harry shrugged. "You and O'Neill are into some weird shit."

"Thor? Thor sent you?"

Harry opened the refrigerator and pulled out two beers. "He didn't introduce himself. He just said to go and get you."

"How did he know where I was?"

"You're asking me?" Harry shrugged as he looked around the kitchen. "You hungry?"

Daniel took a drink out of the bottle, "No, just confused."

"You got me, Danny boy."

"Don't call me that."

"Ooh, sorry, Doctor Jackson." Harry waved his hands in front of his face. "I just risked my ass to pull your cookies out of the fire. It's not like you don't owe me or anything."

Daniel flushed pink. He hesitated then he said. "Okay, I'm sorry Maybourne. I know you took a risk for me. Let's just say it's been a really bad week."

Harry nodded. "Look, I know you've had a shock . . . believe me, it took me by surprise too. Old Jack must have really let himself slip on this one."

"Or I did." Daniel shook his head and sighed. "I can't help thinking that this is all my fault somehow."

The older man looked at him in disbelief. "What? You think because you let Jack fuck you that you caused his death . . . or whatever? Let me tell you, Jackson. If he got that careless, he deserved to be taken down." He shook his head. "No, that's not it. There was insider help here. Either Jack pissed off some big guns, and we both know that he's done that in the past, or somebody decided to remove him for a risk to the SGC, the NID or somebody else." At Daniel's disbelieving expression he continued. "Hey, I'm not blowing smoke, but you can take it or leave it." At the younger man's continued silence, he pointed into a small room off to the side. "Why don't you get a nap while you can? You're safe here and you look like shit."

Daniel nodded and got up from the couch. "I feel like I'm about to fall over, but I can't seem to sleep."

Harry smiled indulgently at him. "Go on, Jackson. I got your back."

 

Daniel was awakened by a hand shaking him. "Get up, Jackson. Your ride is here."

He didn't want to open his eyes. He didn't want his life to go on without Jack. He just didn't even want to try.

"Come on Danny." Then he recognized the second voice and opened his eyes.

"Jacob?"

"Yeah, Daniel, it's me. Come on, we've got to go." General Carter sat down on the side of the bed. "Danny, get up. Jack needs you."

"Where's Jack?"

"C'mon, I'll take you to him."

"Jacob? Is Jack . . . all right?"

"No, Danny. He's not. We need you. Now, c'mon."

He pushed a blanket off of his legs that someone had put there, and sat up quickly. "Jacob?"

But the older man had already left his side and was talking to Harry. "Thanks, Colonel Maybourne. Here's a little something for your trouble. I hope we didn't blow your identity."

The other man took the proffered money and nodded. "Just Harry now. I think I got away with it; but, I was hoping for something else . . . maybe a favor . . . later on, you understand."

"Duly noted, Harry. I, not the Tok'ra, owe you one . . . when you really need it."

"Duly remembered, General Carter. I'll be in touch." He counted ten one-hundred dollar bills and then looked at Jacob suspiciously. "This is good money, right?"

"Yes, it's US currency. We wouldn't try to cheat you, don't worry."

"Well, not cheat exactly." Harry grinned at him. "Let's just say that I'm not too sure of Asgard counterfeiting ability."

"It's real money, Maybourne. It came from my savings account. I don't have much use for it where I currently live." Jacob gently put his hand on Daniel's elbow. "We need to get going. I'm on autopilot, and I'd hate to have someone run into my ship."

Daniel nodded and the two of them left out the front door. Maybourne followed them to the doorway and watched as they walked out to the center of the small glade that was the cabin's front yard. Jacob led the younger man to a level area and then touched something on his sleeve. With a roar of sound, five rings descended down over them and dematerialized the two men.

The two of them materialized in the spartan interior of a Tok'ra Tel'tac. Jacob walked briskly into the pilot's station and sat down at the controls. Adjusting some instruments, he finally relaxed and looked back over his shoulder at his guest.

"Come in and sit down, Daniel. You've been here before."

The younger man followed Jacob in and took the second chair. "Can you tell me what's going on?"

The older man nodded at him with a friendly grin. "Sure, son. What do you want to know?"

"Where's Jack?"

"He's presently on Thor's Hammer in stasis. He's been badly injured, mortally so in fact. We're trying to find a sarcophagus we can borrow for a day or so. Barring that, he'll have to have a body cloned or be blended with a Tok'ra." Jacob looked over at Daniel. "I won't lie to you. For all intents and purposes, he's dead. If things hadn't worked out so well, he'd be long past saving."

"How did you know? What happened?"

"Actually, just a lucky coincidence. Thor contacted the SGC to borrow Jack. When George told them that he hadn't come to work, the little guy tried to beam him up. What he got wasn't very pretty. Someone had gotten into Jack's house and shot him several times. Thor slapped him into his ship's stasis chamber. I just happened to be in the area. He was looking for a symbiote for Jack, but I told him that his friend wouldn't appreciate the favor even if I had one on board." Jacob shrugged. "It takes several months for an adult clone to be grown so that's why we want the miracle box." He shook his head. "I'd called George right after your arrest and found out what was going on. You had already escaped but I couldn't get in range right away." He shrugged. "Sammi contacted this Maybourne character to get to you as quickly as possible. It took a little time for him to find you. Sorry it took so long."

"So, Jack . . . is dead." Daniel looked at the older man, grief written in his eyes.

"Not quite yet. Look, son, Jack's got a lot of friends out here. We haven't given up on him yet You shouldn't either.."

"Where is he?"

"Like I said, on Thor's Hammer. That's where we're going."

Daniel sat quietly in the co-pilots seat, staring out the view port as Jacob flew the small ship out away from Earth.

In a short while, they could see the majestic shape of the Asgard war ship. Jacob deftly guided the small Tel'tac through some large cargo bay doors. After a suitable amount of time to allow the doors to close and air pressure to be established the two disembarked from the ship. As soon as they cleared the hatch, a nimbus of light enveloped them and the two of them reappeared in the main control room of the ship.

Thor dismounted from his command chair and approached his two human guests. "Greetings, General Carter and Doctor Jackson. I am pleased that you were able to arrive safely."

Jacob nodded casually. "So are we, Thor, and it's a pleasure to finally meet you in person. Selmac has told me a lot about you and the Asgard."

Daniel looked about anxiously. "Where's Jack? Can I see him?"

"Indeed, Doctor Jackson. That is why we brought you here. I am sorry to say that O'Neill is not in good condition." The diminutive alien indicated an arched doorway. Daniel stepped through it to see the clear coffin shaped box that was floating in the center of a large room. There was a shape safely encapsulated within the machine.

Thor came to stand beside him. "I found Colonel O'Neill this way three of your earth days ago. Unfortunately, I do not have the technological facilities here to repair his injuries. It should be possible to clone another body, And a clone, while possible, is not the best alternative."

Daniel barely heard the comment as he strode over to the see through stasis chamber. When he got there, it was worst than he had imagined it would be. Jack's naked body was held securely in a glowing energy field. He could see the small hole in Jack's forehead where some bruising had discolored his temple and a few drops of blood had sprayed across the short cropped, silver hair. There was a definite indenting in the skull area. Farther down, just above the left nipple, a larger, tearing bullet wound was evident in the upper chest area. Daniel knew just by looking that they were both killing shots. There was no doubting the shooter's intentions. Whoever they were, they had wanted Jack O'Neill dead. He raised a hand to touch the side of the container but looked to Thor for permission first. The small gray alien shook his bulbous head.

"No, Doctor Jackson. You cannot touch him. If you disrupt the field he will, in truth, die. He must remain as he is until a sarcophagus can be located or a clone may be readied."

Daniel gazed at his lost love. "What can I do?" He asked quietly.

"We must locate a working sarcophagus." Thor responded. "It is the best way to heal him. Do you know where one may be found?"

Daniel shook his head numbly. He needed time to think, he needed to remember. Surely there was one somewhere.

Jacob came over to stand next to the younger man and gently placed a hand on his shoulder.. "Daniel, do you know who did this?"

Thor blinked at the two humans. "You believe this was done intentionally." He said flatly. "Who would do such a thing?"

The younger man shook his head. "Me? I don't know who it was . . It could be any of several people. Jack has some enemies, people who would do this." Daniel spoke softly. "They had to break into his home and while he was asleep. And Sam said it wasn't a burglary. This was murder, an assassination."

"Daniel's right, Thor." Jacob put in. "This was not an accidental shooting. It had to be planned by a professional."

 

A phone rang in the large well-appointed office. A properly coiffed and dressed secretary answered it then put it through to the man himself.

"It's done."

"Are you sure?"

"Oh, yeah. Our transaction is complete."

"You're sure?"

"Positive. One is all it takes, when you do it right. And I hit him twice . . . head and heart."

"How about the other one?"

"He was already gone. Must have had an early mission. I can complete the other half of our arrangement when he gets back."

"No, I have a better idea. Let me make some phone calls."

"Okay, If we're through, then payment is due now."

"I'll get back to you."

"Don't be long."

"I won't be. Don't worry." There was a throaty chuckle. "I wouldn't want you to wait too long."

"Wise plan." The phone went dead.

The man put it back in its cradle with a sneer. Then he placed another call.

 

Jacob and Daniel were sitting in the main control room of The Hammer. "Who would want Jack dead, Daniel?"

Jackson could only shake his head. "Jacob, I know of several people that I could suspect, but I can't be sure. There's probably a few from his old job in Special Ops but I wouldn't know them. He never talks about those days."

General Carter only sighed. "Yeah, I'm sure Jack has more than a few skeletons in his closet, but give me a name to start with."

"Colonel Makepeace, Colonel Grieves, Colonel Samuels, Major Newman, Lieutenant Tobias, Lieutenant Kershaw," He shrugged. 'Several System Lords, some Jaffa, maybe even a few Tok'ra. Jacob, you know Jack."

"Yeah, I do at that, Danny." Carter smiled. "You either love him...or you want to strangle him. But, can you think of anyone who would actually do it . . ?"

"Well, there's Kinsey . . .but . . ."

"As in Senator Kinsey?" The older man whistled his amazement. "That high up huh?"

"Yes, I'm afraid so. But a Senator wouldn't have to do that, would he?"

"Well, not by himself and certainly not in person." Jacob was serious now. "He would have tried to hire it done."

"Why would your people want to destroy the one man who has numerous times saved your planet from the Goa'uld?" Thor put in. "I do not understand the logic."

Jacob turned to their host and Selmac made her presence known.. "Thor, the Taur'i are not logical beings. They are very passionate by nature and do not always think their actions through. If someone hated Colonel O'Neill for a real or imagined injustice, it is quite within their ability to murder our friend."

"Indeed, Selmac. Our research into the species, has proven that. That is why Colonel O'Neill and Doctor Jackson is of such interest to us. They do not fit the norm of their race. But we must determine who it was that did this and prevent any further reoccurrence."

"Can't you cure Jack now and then worry about them trying again?" Daniel asked nervously, looking towards his stricken lover. "He could stay here with you until we find the culprit."

"Well," Jacob had returned. "We don't know exactly where a sarcophagus is, Danny. We'll have to find one, then take it. The quickest recourse would be to implant him with a symbiote; but I don't think that Jack would want that."

He had to shake his head. "No, you're right. He wouldn't."

"I realize now how lucky I was to find such a suitable symbiote. Selmac and I are great friends and partners. I can't imagine being without her now, but I know Jack has a prejudice against the blending. I won't push one for his sake or that of the Tok'ra. He wouldn't allow it to work, even if we had a symbiote readily available." The older man continued. "So we have to find a sarcophagus and steal it."

Daniel sighed. "And we need to find who did this, and why."

Jacob looked at their alien ally. "Thor, can you transport someone from the SGC up here to your ship? Some we can trust, like Sam?"

"Certainly. But for what purpose?"

"We need a little bit of intel. I'd almost rather have George, but I think they'd notice their commander missing. She would be less obvious."

"I can easily bring Major Carter here. Just a moment." The Asgard went back to his command chair and moved some of his instrumentation.

 

Samantha Carter was in her laboratory seeking a moment of relief from all the madness. It didn't seem possible. The Colonel missing and most likely dead, Daniel accused of his murder and on the run somewhere, it was all so crazy. Just last week everything had been so normal. It just didn't seem possible.

There was a knock on her door and she opened it to reveal her remaining teammate. Teal'c looked as distraught as she'd ever seen him. "Majorcarter, may I come in?"

She blinked back any tears that might be in her eyes and stepped aside to grant him entrance. "Sure, Teal'c. What can I do for you?"

"I would like to speak privately to you on the matter that distresses us both." He looked at her carefully. "You have been crying again."

"Yeah, I guess so. I'm having a little trouble looking at this unemotionally. I just can't believe it."

As Sam was speaking, Teal'c noticed a light beginning to form around his teammate. Recognizing it for what it was, he stepped forward and enveloped her in his arms.

Moments later, the two of them materialized in The Hammer."

"We're on an Asgard Ship." Carter commented unnecessarily.

He released her when he also recognized their surroundings. "Indeed, we are, Majorcarter."

Jacob stepped forward and greeted his daughter with a kiss and a hug. "Hi, honey. Is there something you want to tell your old Dad?"

"Dad?" Sam immediately saw Thor and Daniel standing next to him. "Daniel? Commander Thor?"

"Greetings Major Carter, Teal'c."

"Hi Honey, " Jacob opened his arms for a hug from his daughter, who immediately went over to him.

After Jacob released her, she looked at her friend and teammate. "Daniel? Are you all right? We've all been worried about you."

Teal'c had approached his younger teammate to examine him critically. "It is good to see you, Danieljackson."

Daniel nodded his greeting. "I'm fine. But Jack needs your help."

"Daniel, what do you mean?" She looked confused. "Daniel . . . the Colonel is dead," She looked to her father. "Isn't he?"

Thor spoke up after watching the reunion. "O'Neill is not dead. However, we need to find a working sarcophagus." He looked at the two SGC members. "Do you know where one is?"

Teal'c looked thoughtfully at the small alien. "I do not know of an unguarded, working sarcophagus, except one and it is buried under a collapsed ziggurat."

"Would it still be intact?" Jacob immediately saw the possibility.

"Do you mean the one on P2X-338?" Sam asked him in surprise.

"Yes, it was still operational when the ceiling collapsed on it. It may have survived the destruction of the temple."

"The one in Marduk's ziggurat." Daniel commented thoughtfully.

"But that one was destroyed . . . wasn't it?" Sam asked.

"That is unknown until we examine it." Teal'c admitted. "But it is the only available sarcophagus that I am aware of. There is a chance that it survived the collapse of the temple. However reaching it will be difficult."

"Are you sure it was working when it was buried?" Jacob asked.

Sam could only nod. "We didn't try it, but it had been operational. It was being used as a prison for a Goa'uld and his tormentor. His priests hadd locked a flesh-eating creature inside the box with him."

Jacob thought on the concept for a moment. "That's nasty."

"Indeed." Teal'c repeated. "When the host finally succumbed, the Goa'uld shifted to the creature where it remained until it was released from the sarcophagus by accident."

"Well, you'll certainly have to tell me the whole story of that one over a bottle of beer." Jacob shook his head.

"Indeed, I too would like to hear the tale." Thor commented. "But can you show me the way there on my star charts, Teal'c?"

"No, I do not know the star co-ordinates. We traveled there by the Stargate."

Sam looked from him to Thor. "We have them at the SGC. All we have to do is ask for them."

 

General Hammond was growing concerned. First his second in command disappeared leaving only a pool of blood and an apparent crime scene. Next, the powers that be had come and arrested his premier linguist who promptly escaped custody, stole a government motor pool car, and disappeared into thin air. Then, to make his week perfect, the rest of his flagship team disappeared from his top secret, high security facility without a word boo. Where were his people, damn it?

He had risen from his desk and crossed into the Briefing room with its view of the Stargate. He was sure that they had not left that way. It was the only thing that he was certain of. He only hoped Jack O'Neill was still alive for him to harangue when he returned. As he turned to go back to his office, he saw the air begin to shimmer and a form began to coalesce in front of him.

Finally, after a few seconds, the shape formed a hologram of Samantha Carter. She appeared to be talking to someone standing close to her, but as her image cleared she looked directly at him. "General Hammond?"

"Major Carter, where are you? Are you all right? Is Teal'c with you?"

"Yes, Sir. Teal'c and I are both here and we're fine. We're on Thor's ship."

"Does Thor know where Colonel O'Neill is? Is he all right?" Alarm bells were going off in his brain.

"Uh, no sir. Unfortunately the Colonel is in stasis. Thor happened to beam him up immediately after the assault on his person."

"So it was an assault."

"Yes, sir. We believe it to be an assassination attempt. The two shots were both lethal and the Colonel would be dead if it hadn't been for Thor's intervention."

He frowned and pursed his mouth. "Do you know where Doctor Jackson is?"

Carter looked away from the viewer and said something to someone unseen that was unheard. Hammond sighed. "Major Carter, I am alone in my briefing room. Please answer my question."

Carter looked back at him quickly and nodded. "Yes, sir. He's here. He's safe."

"May I speak to him, please?"

"Oh, yes sir." She looked over and mouthed Daniel's name. There was some shifting and the younger man appeared before him.

"General Hammond."

"Doctor Jackson, are you all right, son?"

"Yes, sir. Or I will be when Jack is recovered."

"And when will that be?"

Another familiar face appeared next to Daniel. "Hi ya, George."

"Jacob?"

"Yeah, look. We've got a situation here with Jack. He needs a sarcophagus and we're trying to locate one that will do the job for us." Daniel's hologram looked at Hammond hopefully. "He's bad George, and I think having Daniel here will turn the tide in his favor. Oh, and George, we need the coordinates to a planet."

"Which one, Jacob?"

"Uh," He looked away at someone Hammond couldn't see, then nodded and spoke again. "That would be P2X-338."

"Marduk's planet, General." Daniel put in. "The one where we found the Russian team."

"Ah, yes Doctor Jackson, I remember it well. Stand by a moment."

Going into his office, he crossed to the file cabinet. General Hammond opened a drawer and after a few moments of searching pulled out a manilla folder. He went back out to the briefing room and spoke to the holograms again giving them the required information. "May I ask what your plans are?"

He could see Jacob repeating the numbers of the coordinates to someone out of range of the communication device. "Well, George, Thor here is going to give us a ride to the planet and we're going to try and dig the sarcophagus out of the rubble of that ziggurat. If that doesn't work, well, then I guess Jack and Daniel will be TDY to the Asgard fleet until a clone can be grown for old Jack here."

"He can't be treated here?"

Jacob Carter sighed and shook his head. "No, George. If we take Jack out of stasis, we run the risk of losing him all together. The whole thing is a bad situation. But, quite honestly, we're running out of options. We can send Sam and Teal'c back to you but I'm going to insist on keeping Daniel here."

"It just makes the boy look even more guilty." George objected. "He needs to come here and defend himself against this murder charge."

"George, if our plan works, there won't be a murder charge. Jack won't be dead." Jacob looked at his old friend. "You need to concentrate on finding out who set this whole thing up so we can return both of them safely. Dollars to donuts, the only reason Daniel isn't lying beside Jack on a slab in the mortuary is because he had an early mission with another team." The older man shook his head. "I wouldn't make him come back there right now for his own safety."

"Yes, I see your point." Hammond frowned thoughtfully. "But I do need Major Carter and Teal'c back, or they'll be suspect too before Simmons is through."

Jacob glanced over at his daughter and Teal'c. Sam had that 'I don't want to go to school' look on her face he knew so well from her childhood. The Jaffa just looked stubborn.

"Dad, we're not leaving them." She stated firmly.

He returned the look. "So who's gonna find the bad guys, Sammi?"

"You'll need our help to get the sarcophagus out of the temple. We know where it is?"

"So does Daniel."

"Dad, Daniel knows what part of the temple it is in. I know where that part of the temple is located. He can tell you the room, but I can give you the coordinates for the transporter." She shrugged. "That's what we do."

Jacob looked at Teal'c for support. He only nodded. "Majorcarter is right. Without her input we would be digging haphazardly for the location."

The old General sighed and nodded. "George, it seems I'm highjacking your whole team . . . no pun intended."

 

After receiving the proper coordinates from Stargate Command, the Hammer was headed to Marduk's planet to pick up it's hopefully still working sarcophagus. The four humans were gathered in a group eating sustenance from Jacob's ship. Thor had joined them with his food concentrates..

"If the sarcophagus is not functional, we will immediately proceed to one of the Asgard home planets where a clone will be started. It will take approximately six of your Earth months for it to be the right size and age in appearance."

Jacob nodded. He was beginning to realize what value the Asgard put on O'Neill's survival. He looked at the diminutive alien. "Don't take this the wrong way, Thor, but why would your people go to that much trouble for Colonel O'Neill?"

"O'Neill has demonstrated many advanced qualities in the past. He survived being exposed to the Repository of Knowledge at the place of our legacy." The Asgard replied. "I believe that there is much that can be learned by our association with both O'Neill and his team."

"So, you think that Jack is . . . advanced?" Daniel asked. "Is he . . . indicative of the future of our race?"

"I believe that his full capabilities have not been reached . . . as yours have not yet. That is why the two of you have been drawn to each other."

"Are you saying that their friendship was preordained by a higher power?" Jacob asked suspiciously.

"No." Thor answered mysteriously. "You did."

Jacob frowned. "Do you mean me as a human or me as a Tok'ra?"

"Yes." The small alien answered with a nod.

"Is that why the Tok'ra is so interested in the SGC? Because of the Colonel and Daniel?" Carter asked thoughtfully.

"Yes."

Jacob nodded in agreement. "I'd say so . . . and so does Selmac.

"Is that why the Goa'uld is so interested in the Taur'i as a race, because of O'Neill and Danieljackson?" Teal'c questioned.

"Yes."

"Is that why suddenly the whole universe is paying attention to Earth?" Jacob asked.

"Yes." Thor continued. "If the Stargate had not been activated, it would have been decades before the Goa'uld would have been drawn again to your Earth. They would have continued to harvest their hosts from their own enslaved worlds. But when Doctor Jackson and Colonel O'Neill reactivated your planet's portal, it attracted the attention of the System Lords. They were not ready for the conflict. This will work for the benefit of the Galaxy as a whole, though not necessarily for their own good."

"You mean because they can defeat the Goa'uld?"

"That is unknown. It will be up to the First World to take the proper steps to defend against both the Goa'uld and other dangers." He replied cryptically, "But if they had not reemerged as the Fifth Race of power, the Asgard could not have held out on its own. The Nox has become too retrospective, the Ancients too self-absorbed and the Furlings have almost disappeared completely. The Taur'i are a welcome ally."

"What if Daniel hadn't been called in to open the Stargate?"

"Then, we would not be having this conversation." Thor replied cryptically.

"And the Tok'ra?" Jacob asked.

"The Tok'ra have never been a large or powerful enough force to accomplish a full overthrow. And," the Asgard pronounced meaningfully. "For all your strengths, your one weakness is that there are members of your society that is still following the precepts of the Goa'uld. Your Ancestress was not prolific enough to create a force strong enough to succeed. When all is said and done, you are weakened from within and are unable or unwilling to take the necessary steps to correct that flaw in the race." Thor eyed Jacob sadly. "I am sorry."

The old General pursed his lips and nodded. "Don't be. You're right."

 

Later that evening, Sam noticed that Daniel had disappeared from their room. She was worried about him, had been since they'd found Jack's house in shambles. His leaving them now was another indication of how upset Daniel was.

(Flashback)

She and Teal'c had left the Colonel's house Saturday night. Daniel had stayed over, ostensibly too much to drink to drive home safely. Not drunk, but with his early mission with SG 13 the next morning, it had made more sense.

They hadn't heard from the Colonel on Monday morning. He hadn't shown up for their normal early coffee in the dining hall and he hadn't dropped by her office. That hadn't been unusual by itself, but when he didn't show up for the ten a.m. joint mission briefing with Feretti's team, the alarm bells had gone off to everyone. O'Neill, the consummate professional, never missed a meeting. Hammond had immediately sent her and Teal'c to the Colonel's house to look for their missing commander. What they found there had been horrifying.

The forest green Ford F350 had been still parked in the garage. Daniel's tan Land Rover was gone, his having driven it to the SGC on the previous morning.. Daniel would have left by the front door to get to his car and it was secured by both the doorknob's mechanism and the deadbolt. But, the house's back door had been unlocked, something that the security conscious O'Neill would never have forgotten even if he had been heavily intoxicated. The two of them had entered the rear door stealthily, drawing their weapons. Nothing had appeared out of place in either the kitchen or the living room. Even the bottles and pizza boxes had been stowed in the trash container. Everything appeared normal, until they had gone up the stairs. The spare bedroom that was normally Daniel's was undisturbed, the door open, the bed still made.

The door to the Colonel's room, however, was half closed. They pushed it ajar and were horrified at what greeted their eyes. The large bed was in disarray, with large splashes of red everywhere. Cotton batting from the damaged pillows lay sodden in a big pool of what appeared to be coagulated blood. As Teal'c checked the bathroom for any hidden occupant, she looked on the other side of the room. Lying on the floor was the clothing that the Colonel had been the evening before. They were damaged, some buttons torn off the shirt and even the jeans' zipper had been broken apart. But there was no sign of their missing commander, either in the bed or the room.

Together, they left the room undisturbed and went back down into the living room to call the base. She immediately requested backup to the residence then asked to be connected directly to the General. As she reported their findings, it occurred to her that the tears running down her cheeks were not very professional.

General Hammond had come himself and he brought SG2 to help secure the scene until the OSI. NID and the Colorado Police Force arrived. Ferretti had cursed fluently in two or three languages she didn't know he spoke when he saw the wreckage of his friend's bedroom. "Where's Daniel?"

She looked at him in surprise. "He's supposed to be off-world with SG13 on an archaeological mission."

Lou nodded. "Good, if he'd gone missing we would have been notified at the meeting. At least we only have to worry about the Colonel."

Hammond had overheard their conversation. "Doctor Jackson did go off- world as scheduled. They left at oh seven hundred yesterday morning." He looked thoughtful. "So he probably left here several hours earlier."

Lou nodded and indicated the alarm clock lying on the floor, its plastic face plate shattered. The hands showed oh four fifteen. "I'm guessing he was long gone by the time this all happened."

"Indeed." Teal'c came over to stand with them. "I concur. Danieljackson was here but I witnessed his departure with SG13 and he was in a very good mood. He couldn't have known of O'Neill's danger. He would not have left O'Neill alone if he had known of any trouble."

(Present time)

Sam checked the area that Thor and Daniel had been in when they had arrived on Thor's Hammer. The control room was empty. Evidently even Thor required some type of rest. As she continued on, Sam rounded the corner where the Colonel slept unconscious in his saving stasis field. She padded quietly to his side to look down at her fallen commander.

It was an odd contraption, a sort of stasis generated box. You could see into it without interference, but the edges and corners were defined somehow, as if it had been made of a molten substance and suspended by some invisible force field. The only thing Sam could relate it to was Snow White's coffin in the Disney Film.

Looking down at her commander as he lay there, she could see the damage where a bullet had entered O'Neill's right frontal bone causing a small round hole that had dented the skull slightly. There was still a stippling of crusted red where it had impacted on the high forehead and splattered blood throughout the short silver hair. She knew that if she could see the back of his head she would have been horrified at the amount of damage that had been caused when the bullet exited the skull's casing. As her eyes scanned down the nude body, she saw the other wound just above the left breast. It too was a relatively small entry wound, but the soft tissue had torn as it had absorbed the impact leaving a jagged raw gash in the moist gleaming muscle tissue. By the amount of blood she had seen on his bed she knew the bullet had most likely hit the heart itself, exploding the large cardiac muscle and draining the body of its life- sustaining fluid.

As her eyes trailed down the bare torso, she could see other marks on the body. Small bruises and scratches dotted the chest and flat belly and something that looked suspiciously like a bite mark was in the pubic area just above the hair line. She frowned at the sight. What had happened to her friend? Nail marks, and was that a hickey? She didn't get it. Had he been raped before the attempted murder? True his clothes had been damaged and flung on the floor, but surely he would have fought back. Who could have overpowered and out fought the experienced warrior? Or was it what it had initially seemed to her disbelieving eyes? Had it been an assault at all? Or had it been consensual?

But Daniel would have been there . . . had been there, she knew. The Colonel wouldn't have invited someone, a lover, over with a houseguest already there would he? Or, she thought suddenly, had a third person involved at all?

"Sam?" She was startled out of her reverie by a soft voice. "Sam, is that you?"

"Yeah, Daniel. It's me." She could now see the form of her team mate and friend lying on the floor next to the wall. Sam crossed over to where he lay and knelt down beside her friend. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, I guess, I uh fell asleep." He propped himself up on his elbow and mumbled in a dazed voice. "I was sitting here with Jack, and I must have dozed off."

"Sitting with Jack? But Daniel, he doesn't know you're here."

"Yes, I know." He sat up and leaned against the wall, pulling his glasses off and rubbing his eyes with his hands like a little child. "But, well, I just wanted to be close to him. I'm all right . . . really."

She moved over to sit next to him and looked at her friend critically. "Daniel. Was anyone else at the Colonel's house while you were there?"

"No." The younger man shook his head. "No, it was just us two."

"What happened after we left?" She looked at him curiously.

"Nothing much." He replied, furrowing his forehead in recollection. "We watched a little more television then we went to bed. Why?"

"Daniel, the Colonel has some unusual marks on his body." She said quietly. "Like he had contact with someone . . . intimate contact."

"Oh." Daniel looked up at her; the silence was deafening.

"And, Daniel, your bed wasn't slept in."

"Uh . . . " He sighed and put his glasses on to look at her. "No, no it wasn't." He seemed to consider something, then he spoke. "I slept in Jack's bed."

"Daniel . . . " Sam wasn't sure what she had wanted to hear but it hadn't been that.

"Sam. It's all right." He sighed and dropped his head to his chest. "We wanted to tell you guys, but, well the time never seemed right."

She looked at him without comprehension. "You wanted to tell us . . . what exactly?"

"The reason the guest room wasn't slept in," He looked at Jack "Jack and I spent the night . . . together . . . in his bedroom."

"Together?"

Daniel nodded. "We've been, uh, together for a while now." He looked at her with hope hiding in his eyes. "We didn't want to lie to you two, we just didn't know how to say it . . . or even what to say to you."

"So, you're telling me that you're . . . you're a couple?" She breathed out, thinking of the Colonel's gamin grin, his winks at her, their mutual unmeant flirting, considering all the mixed signals they had sent through the years. "I'm sorry, Daniel, I can't believe that." She shook her head.

He only shrugged helplessly at her. "That's your choice."

She looked at him closely and saw the dark shadows and traces of a small unannounced tear down his left cheek. "Daniel, the Colonel, he's not like that." She said softly.

"Sam, we've been together two years now." He watched her reaction calmly. "This isn't new. We're in a relationship. We love each other. We're committed to each other."

"But, just last year, the zatarc machine . . . " She protested. "He said he felt more for me then he should, that he loved me." She couldn't have been wrong then.

"I know, I know. Jack told me what happened afterwards . . . but Sam, you do mean more than him than you should, he loves you, so do I, so does Teal'c." Daniel tried to explain. "We're a family. Jack cares for us all."

"But for you more? Is that what you're saying?" She didn't know whether to laugh at his fantasy or to pity him.

"All I know is that he'd do anything for any of us." Daniel shook his head. "He loves all of us."

She looked at him suspiciously, an odd thought flashing through her mind. "Daniel . . . did you shoot him?"

"God, no! You do think I'm crazy." He looked up at her with a shocked expression widening his blue eyes. "You think I could hurt Jack . . . for any reason?" Daniel looked at her in disbelief. "Sam, Sam, I love him. I'd die for him." He unbuttoned his own shirt and opened its front. There was a bite mark on his chest and another higher up along his collarbone. "Janet knows. You can ask her."

Sam looked at the younger man in confusion. She realized then that what he had said was true. And that he had died for Jack before. That it had been that way for a while between them. The shared looks, the soft touches, the pet names, the gentle teasing. They were a couple. She just hadn't seen it before. She hadn't understood that maybe, just maybe, she had been used just a little as an unsuspecting smoke screen, to draw attention away from them. "Why didn't she tell me? Why didn't you tell me?"

Daniel only looked at her. "We tried, Sam, but we didn't want to hurt you."

She sat there, shocked. It was hard to hear, to admit that her Commander and her best friend had something special between them . . . and that Daniel had won. Hell, she hadn't even known there was a competition. Sam got up and went back over to where Jack lay asleep. The marks were there for her to see, for anyone to see. She had been blind, blind and foolish. Tears swam in her eyes. She blinked them away. I didn't matter. Her commander, her friend deserved better from her.

 

The planet glowed golden and sear beneath then. No green or blue offered any relief from the obvious heat and dryness that awaited them.

The Carters and Teal'c had flown the Tel'tac down to where the exterior door had been. What they found was a pile of rubble blocking any hope of reaching the door that Daniel had once opened with his translation skills. Huge granite chunks of wall filled the cave-like antechamber.

Jacob looked at his two companions. "This is it?"

"This is the original door, Dad." Sam replied with a frown. "We didn't leave this way."

"Obviously, but the question is, can we get in?"

Sam looked down at the device that she held in her hand. She clicked it off and shook her head. "Not this way at least. I do show there to be an opening deep in the interior, right where the sarcophagus should be but we won't reach it this way."

"We could start to excavate, Majorcarter." Teal'c commented. "Perhaps if we free the passageway..."

"No, it's too deep here." She retraced her steps away from the structure. "Besides we're not sure that the Goa'uld is dead."

Jacob looked at her in surprise. "You're not!"

"Uhm, well. We think he's dead." She assured him hastily.

"And when were you going to tell me this?"

"He should be dead." She sounded whiney even to herself. "We dropped the whole ziggurat on his head."

"Indeed, Jacobcarter. The explosion was most satisfying and the symbiote and the host should have both been killed."

Jacob looked at them with a long-suffering expression. "Okay, tell me about the Goa'uld symbiote...and the host...please."

"Well," his daughter started. "Initially we think that the Goa'uld, Marduk, was overthrown by his priests and locked in his sarcophagus with a flesh-eating creature."

"Ewwwh." Jacob replied. "Go on."

"So, when Marduk finally died, we surmised that the Goa'uld left his host and implanted itself into the creature."

Teal'c picked up the story. "The missing Russian team must have opened the box allowing the creature to escape."

"The missing Russian team?" He shook his head in disbelief.

"Yes, Jacobcarter, the one we were searching for. They were trying to find the Eye of Tiamat."

He sighed, a long-suffering sigh. ""Eye of Tiamat? Of course they were. And?"

"Well, the Goa'uld jumped from the creature into Major Vallarin. Well, Colonel Zukhov found the Eye, no actually Doctor Britski found it first, but then the creature killed him and Colonel Zukhov found it on his body. But he died, then we blew up the ziggurat...we think." She shrugged. "We didn't think we were coming back here."

"You know, there's a theory among several races that you can tell where SG1 has been by the amount of obvious damage at a site."

"That's not funny, Dad."

"No, Sammi, it's not; but it's true." Jacob smiled at his daughter. "So, where is the sarcophagus?"

"It's in the main chamber of the building."

"And with the doors blocked, how do we get there?"

"Ring in?"

Jacob pulled himself up to his full height and shook his head. "My name is not Scotty."

"Okay," she looked thoughtful.

Teal'c glanced meaningfully in her direction. "Do you have it?"

"Never go anywhere without it." She took her pack off and started digging in the cloth.

"Indeed, you have said it is a girl's best friend."

Jacob looked back and forth between the two team mates. "Dare I ask?"

"C-4." Sam replied chirpily.

"You've been hanging around Jack too long." Jacob sighed and shook his head.

 

Several hours later, they had cleared the antechamber into the Ziggurat and made headway into the tunnel that ran into it. There was not a sound to be heard except for the smattering of falling debris. They proceeded cautiously down the corridors, keeping an eye out for any unexpected movement or appearance of anything unusual. They soon found the remains of the first Russian team. Their skeltons lay where they had been left.

"What killed them again?" Jacob asked.

"The creature that had been locked in the sarcophagus with Marduk." Sam answered her father. "At least most of them, the others may have originally starved to death."

"Nice. And the guy you left here? Vallarin?"

"He should have been trapped or killed by the explosion." Teal'c replied. "Even a Goa'uld needs sustenance to support him, and there was nothing here." The Jaffa glanced toward the General. "We will stay alert, but I believe the danger is passed."

They had been following a corridor that led deeper into the building. Several of the walls had collapsed inward, no doubt due to the explosion when SG1 had left. Sam was on point and Teal'c at their six when they approached a blocked doorway. She turned to look at her father and friend. "This is it. The sarcophagus is inside this room."

General Hammond was going through O'Neill's personal files systematically. He was the only one in Cheyenne Mountain that had full access to Jack's records. Even Doctor Fraiser didn't have the clearance to see them all. There was a lot in them that could be the reason for the attack on his 2IC. Some of the missions were straight rescue and recovery, some of them involved getting information, some involved infiltration and a very few had bordered on Black Ops. Jack had been the Go-To-Guy for a lot of years. He had once told Hammond that he had done some damned distasteful things in his lifetime. George was finding out just how bad they had been. There were no actual assassinations, or direct links to crimes against humanity, but there were some assignments that had been so FUBAR'd that lives had been lost on both sides unnecessarily. When Jack had said if he ever wrote his memoirs he'd have to kill everyone who read them. Well, he hadn't been far wrong. As he went through the files, he realized just how many people would want Jack O'Neill, and to a lesser degree Daniel Jackson, dead.

Starting at the top of the list was Senator Kinsey. The man had hated Jackson from the very first time he'd seen the young man, and he knew that O'Neill despised him. After the incident with is own granddaughters, Hammond himself would like to see the Senator disappear. But then that would be sinking to the Senator's level. After it was all over, Jack had asked him to be ready one day to buy his soul back for him. George would be happy too and was only waiting for the bill to come due. Maybe this was the time.

Then there was Colonel Simmons, head of the NID. He wasn't sure what was the actual root of that situation but the main fire seemed to be another three-way conflagration between Simmons, O'Neill and Jackson. When Jack had gone missing on planet P7S-441, Simmons had gleefully interrogated O'Neill's three team members and had particularly concentrated on Doctor Jackson. It was almost as if he were accusing the young man of some dastardly wrongdoings against his team leader. He had also brought up Jackson's personal family history with the Goa'uld, something that George had considered very poor form not to mention a red flag in front of a bull.

Staying with the NID aspect, he also had to consider Harry Maybourne. Yes, he and O'Neill seemed to have developed a truce when it came to personal dislike, but George still didn't trust the man as far as he could throw him. He assumed the connection between his 2IC and the ex- Colonel, convicted traitor stemmed from their similar backgrounds in Special Operations. O'Neill had once said in private that he and Maybourne were two sides of the same coin and that he'd just been luckier than 'the little weasel'. George doubted Maybourne was involved in the assassination attempt on Jack, but he still couldn't bring himself to dismiss the man completely.

And of course there were others, rogue NID agents that O'Neill had implicated in the theft of alien artifacts Colonel Makepeace, Major Newman, Major Grieves, Lieutenant Tobias, Lieutenant Kershaw and others too numerous to pinpoint. Hell, for all he knew there were people from out of Jack's past who were still gunning for him. The only people he was absolutely sure of were himself, Samantha Carter, Teal'c and Daniel Jackson. Of course the only person under suspicion was the one he considered the least likely, young Daniel.

The phone sitting on his desk rang stridently. George picked up the receiver. Master Sergeant Davis's voice told him that he had a phone call. He didn't believe the announced identity of the caller.

 

Robert Makepeace was in a quandary. He'd gotten some disturbing Intel from the Penitentiary grapevine . He knew that he was high enough on the food chain to be considered dangerous with the knowledge that he carried by some outside powers. That's why he was in the top security area at Fort Leavenworth. They didn't want their highest ranking traitor in the facility to disappear on them. But he had a plan to get back into the SGC good graces at least. Maybe what he knew could be a bargaining chip to help him in his present situation.

He didn't liked Jack O'Neill. Before his capture and subsequent imprisonment he'd shared a beer or two with the Air Force Colonel at O'Malley's but they'd never hit it off. He thought O'Neill was a bit of a bastard and he had some suspicions about the man's relationship with his team members. But, to be honest, he knew that O'Neill and he shared at least two binding character traits. They both hated the Goa'uld and they were both loyal to the good old US of A. They would both die protecting her and, by default, mother Earth.

In fact, that was the reason he was here. He'd tried to help the NID by assisting in the accumulation of alien technology. O'Neill had foiled his plan. Once again, the poster boy of the SGC had done his job. Makepeace wasn't sure how much good they could have done if they'd managed to gather enough weaponry to fight the Goa'uld on their own ground. They'd never know just how much damage the Colonel had done because the plan had never really gotten off of the ground.

A large burly guard appeared at his cell door. "Come on, your request for a phone call has been granted." His jailer opened the door and stepped inside to shackle him for the trip to the phone area. "I sure hope it's important."

Makepeace nodded at the man and held his hands out for the chains. "Believe me. It's important to somebody."

 

The General picked up the receiver and nodded to Davis as the smaller man left his office. "Hammond."

"George, I've got some interesting news for you."

"Who is this?" The voice was familiar, but he couldn't place it right away.

"General, I'm hurt. I thought you'd at least remember a Colonel under your command, even if I am calling from Leavenworth."

"Makepeace."

"Got it in two, Hammond. Not too bad after all."

"What do you want?"

"As I said, I have some news you need to pass on an SGC team commander."

"And what would that be?" He immediately knew the subject, but wanted to see what he could learn.

"Well, lets just say my sources say that there's been a contract put out on a certain Colonel, and maybe your pet geek too."

"And why should I believe you?"

"Let's just say that, while I don't personally care for the people involved, I do respect a man who's damn good at his job." The voice got quiet. "I know this phone is tapped, so I can't talk any more from here. So, tell flyboy to keep his eyes open or they may be shut permanently."

"Do you know . . . ?"

"I told you. I'm not saying anything else. There are too many ears here and my lawyer is saying that I have a fighting chance in court against the death penalty. I don't want to end up a statistic here at the Fort, if you catch my drift." Makepeace laughed. "Besides, what can I know? I'm in a high security facility. You know that."

"Okay, Makepeace, I hear you loud and clear." Hammond's mind was racing. "I'll see that Jack is warned."

"Hey, George. I don't owe the man squat. This is for Earth . . . and maybe a little consideration for me."

"I'll see what I can do."

As he hung up the phone, Hammond's mind was racing. Who was it, and how would Makepeace find out about anything in prison? He had to find out what the ex-Marine knew. It could lead to the assassins.

 

Daniel Jackson was sitting in the room with the stasis cube that held the body of his lover. He could have gone to the planet with the rest of the team, but he couldn't bear to be parted from Jack. He also felt that he should be or could be the one who figured out who was trying to kill his partner. There was a long enough list of people who hated Jack, but to go this far seemed extreme.

He'd passed on Kinsey, figuring the senator had too much to lose had he been found out in the plan. The same thought had occurred for Simmons. Not that the NID Colonel wouldn't have contracted the hit out if he thought he could get away with it. Harry Maybourne had also come to mind, but Jack and the little man had seemingly come to an agreement about things in general. He also knew that Jack still owed Maybourne a few uncalled for favors. His own rescue was proof of that. And why Jack and why now? None of this seemed to make sense in the overall scheme of things. He finally gave up his unsuccessful thinking and thumped his head back against the bulkhead.

Daniel heard a little shuffling noise and looked toward the doorway. Thor was standing there, watching him. "Doctor Jackson, are you all right?"

"Yes, thank you, Thor. I'm just . . . worried."

"You need not concern yourself for his condition." The small alien replied to him. "O'Neill is safe from any harm, nor can he expire while he rests in the stasis module."

"I know. It's just hard to see him like this."

"So, you sit and watch what is difficult to see?"

"Yes, I know. It doesn't make any sense, but I just don't want to leave him alone . . . in case he can sense me here."

"I see." Thor replied, with a tone that indicated that he didn't see at all.

"I guess we're funny creatures to you."

"Not funny, Doctor Jackson, but you do interest me." Thor canted his head to the side. "Major Carter has succeeded in entering the temple. We will need your expertise soon."

"In what way?"

"When they locate the sarcophagus, I will bring it up to the ship. At that time, we will place O'Neill in the container. You must read the inscriptions and operate the device." The little creature blinked slowly. "It will be your responsibility to reanimate O'Neill."

"Oh, good. No pressure."

Thor looked at him in confusion. "I do not understand."

Daniel ducked his head to his chest. "Sorry, I just want this to work so badly. If it doesn't . . . "

"As do I, Doctor Jackson." the Asgard nodded at him. "That is why you are the perfect one for the job."

 

Sam, Teal'c and Jacob dug through the last pile of rubble that blocked the doorway into the inner sanctum of the ruined temple. There, only partially covered with dirt and debris was Marduk's sarcophagus. They scanned the area cautiously for any sign of movement, but didn't see anything suspicious

Approaching the alien machine, Teal'c and Jacob inspected it carefully as Sam stood watch with her weapon at the ready. They didn't find any obvious damage to the exterior, but as to its ability to work properly all they could do was try it and see. The two men hastily cleared the rubble from around the large square box and Jacob pulled a communication device from his pocket and activated it.

"Commander Thor?"

"Yes, General Carter?"

"We found the sarcophagus and it appears to be intact. We've cleared it for transport via your beaming technology. We'll return to your ship in my Tel'tac so don't bother picking us up."

"Understood, General." The Asgard acknowledged. "Please stand well away from the machine."

The three backed off several feet and a white light promptly enveloped the machine and it disappeared. Jacob looked at his daughter and Teal'c. "Well, that's it for here. Now we just have to hope that it still works."

Sam nodded and glanced at Teal'c. The Jaffa spoke for the both of them. "We know that it was working or the Goa'uld would not have survived even when it took the creature as its host. We can only hope it continues to function, for O'Neill's sake."

Jacob nodded. "Amen to that my friend."

The three of them retraced their steps to the exit of the temple. As they left the ziggurat and approached the Tel'tac, Teal'c heard a noise and turned to look back from where they had come. A human figure had followed them out onto the desert.

"Jaffa, kree!" The form of the Russian officer, Major Vallarin, stood at the entryway. "Obey, your God."

The Carters turned and stared at the disheveled figure. The Goa'uld was wearing a torn military uniform and was thin to the point of emaciation. There was a look of desperation on the host's face.

Jacob looked at the creature in pity. "Sorry, no. No Jaffa. No kreeing. We've got other things to do today."

"You have stolen from your god. You have taken my sarcophagus!"

"Yeah, we kind of need it." Jacob replied to the distressed Goa'uld, then asked. "We're leaving now. You want to come with?"

Teal'c spoke to the alien wearing the Russian's face. "You have no worshipers left. You are a false god, a creature in the body of a Taur'i. Your priests cast you down and left you here on this forsaken planet to die. If you come, you will be removed from the Major...or you may remain here."

"Nothing of the host remains!" The Goa'uld snarled at them.

"You lie, false god. The host may be freed. The Tok'ra have the knowledge to do so." Teal'c looked at him pitilessly. "It is your choice to make. You may live . . . or you may stay here and die with your host. It is the same to us."

The Goa'uld looked from him to Jacob Carter. "Why would you do this?"

"To save the life of your host." The General replied.

"And what of me?"

"You would be returned to the Goa'uld System Lords." Jacob's eyes flashed as Selmac answered him. "We have no need of you."

Marduk looked at them suspiciously. "Why would the Taur'i do this?"

"I am not Taur'i. I am Tok'ra."

He scowled at them. "Then why should I believe you?"

"Believe me or not. It makes no difference." Selmac motioned Sam and Teal'c into his waiting ship. "We came for the sarcophagus. You are not important. Stay or come, it matters not to us."

Marduk watched them as they entered the ship. "Wait. I would go with you."

Jacob nodded his head. "I thought you might."

 

Hammond was waiting in the visitors room at Fort Leavenworth. He had in his pocket a piece of paper with some important signatures on it. He was waiting for an old acquaintance.

The guards brought Robert Makepeace into the room and released him. His wrists were shackled to his waist and chains connected to ankles restricted his movements even more. He looked at his old commanding officer, then down to his restraints. "So?"

"You called me, Makepeace, remember?"

"Ah, yeah, I guess I did at that." The ex-Marine Colonel shuffled over and sat down in one of the two straight-backed chairs in the room. "This room is bugged, you know."

"I do." The General sat down in the chair across from him.

"Do you want what I have to tell you on video?"

"Don't you?"

"Not particularly." The prisoner shrugged. "I'd like to stay alive a bit longer. Maybe go visit a mutual pal of ours." He grinned. "Harry still owes me big time."

"I can't take you out of here, you know. Not without some information that is valuable to us." Hammond leaned in closer and whispered. "What do you want to say?"

"How's O'Neill?" Robert whispered back.

"He'd dead, and Doctor Jackson is missing." He sat back. "They're putting the blame on him."

Makepeace's face fell as he realized that he was late with his information. "Too bad. What do they say caused it? A lover's quarrel?"

"No." Hammond frowned at the innuendo.

"I don't know why not. He's the perfect fall guy. Probably found out that O'Neill was doing Carter and killed him in a fit of jealousy."

Hammond stood up. "If that's what you had to say to me, you've wasted my time and yours."

"Hey, I didn't say it." He grimaced. "But I'll bet someone else is . . . to cover for the real culprit."

"Do you know who shot Colonel O'Neill?"

"Yes. And I know it wasn't Jackson."

"Who did shoot Jack?"

"The actual person? I don't know." Makepeace leaned over to speak softly to Hammond. "Oh, he wouldn't have done it himself, he would have hired it done. Goa'ulds don't usually do their own killing. And he doesn't have any Jaffa to do his bidding like Apophis or Hathor. All he has is a lot of money." He pulled back. "A whole lot of money."

"A Goa'uld." Hammond repeated. "A Goa'uld here on Earth?"

"Yep, and you know who it is. You just have to prove it."

"Who are you talking about?"

"Does the name Adrian Conrad ring a bell?"

"Should it?"

"Yep, it should. In fact, sky rockets should be going off."

George pulled his chair closer and spoke in a soft voice. "How do you know this?"

"I don't really know it. It's just an educated guess." Makepeace leaned forward. "Simmons thinks he's got his pet Gould under control. But you and I both know how likely that is." The big man leaned back in his chair. "Conrad is a multimillionaire. All he needs to do is make a phone call. That he's host to a Goa'uld could be of great benefit to both of them."

Hammond nodded. It made sense. A Goa'uld loose on Earth with millions of dollars at his beck and phone call. How close to a god does that make him? Pretty damn close.

 

Simmons slammed his hand down on the expensive mahogany table. "I thought you were supposed to be smart! What the hell were you thinking?"

The man-creature sitting opposite him smiled slowly. "I wanted him dead. He was the man most dangerous to our existence. With him gone, the others will not be able to stop us."

"I think that you underestimate the others. Hammond is no fool, and Carter is a long way from being stupid."

"They, and you, are only human. You do not understand the way of gods."

"You're the one who doesn't understand. The human race has come a long way since our ancestors and yours crossed paths. You are no god. You're just an alien inhabiting a man's body."

The Goa'uld shook his head. "That may be true . . . but . . . what you do not understand is that I possess a great deal of power even in these limited circumstances. You only control what I allow you to."

Simmons looked at the alien wearing Adrian Conrad's face. "What do you mean?"

Conrad only smiled. "You forget . . . Colonel . . . that I am more than Adrian Conrad. I am also more than an alien. Together, my host and I have considerable power. You would be well to remember that. I know who my enemies are and I also know whom my friends can be. Which position would you like to be in?"

The NID Colonel looked at the creature that he had helped to create. Conrad had been known as an honest but hard business man. But he was also responsible for at least one death since his possession not counting O'Neill's. He needed to be removed from his power base.

 

The Tel'tac landed in the hanger bay of the Hammer. As the four passengers disembarked and headed for the interior of the ship, Teal'c dropped back to Marduk's side. "Do not mistake Jacobcarter's rescue of you for friendship or weakness. I know who and what you are and I will not hesitate to kill you outright should you threaten us or our mission. Do you understand me?"

Marduk nodded at the Jaffa. "I have been a prisoner on that planet for three thousand years. I could not bear to remain behind." The two walked together for a few paces. "What will happen to me?"

"I do not know." The Jaffa shook his head. "The Tok'ra will decide."

"I had heard of them, but do not know their intentions."

"That you will learn, I have no doubt."

They arrived in the room where Jack still lay in the stasis chamber. Daniel and Thor were busy examining and cleaning the sarcophagus. The machine was still covered with the debris of the temple. As the group arrived, Thor stopped and looked at the newcomers.

"Will it work?" Jacob asked, crossing the room to stand next to the retrieved machine and Daniel.

Thor answered. "I do not know. I am not familiar with the technology and so cannot tell if it has been damaged." He looked at Marduk. "This is a Goa'uld." He said pointedly.

"Sorry, Thor. We couldn't just leave him." The elder Carter shrugged. "I'll take him back to the Tok'ra with me. Maybe we can help the host." Marduk/Vallarin glowered at him.

"Very well. He is your responsibility" The small alien returned his attention to the device. "He must remain in seclusion and secured in another part of the Hammer. I do not trust him traveling freely on the ship."

Daniel looked up and recognized Vallarin. "This is a human that we knew before he was taken as a host. The sarcophagus must still work or he'd be dead by now."

Teal'c nodded. "Indeed, the Goa'uld was trapped on this world some time ago. We thought that he had been killed during our mission here."

Thor looked at the man, noting his damaged clothes and haggard looks. "So it would seem, though he has not fared well he is at least living." The Asgard turned to Jacob. "What must we do now?"

Selmac came to the fore again and answered for her host. "I would like to examine the machine more closely to insure that it is operating properly."

Thor indicated the box. "Of course, do whatever you think is required. There is no hurry."

Jacob smiled at the comment. "I'm thinking you are the only one here who feels that way."

 

Daniel had finished cleaning the ornate surface and translated all the carvings on the device to satisfy himself. All he could do now was either sit and watch the others working on the sarcophagus, or he could sit and look at Jack. He chose the latter. As he watched his lover lying in the stasis container, he could hear the others moving around in the room behind him, examining the condition of the life saving box.

Sam and Jacob, with Selmac's help, gave the sarcophagus a mechanical inspection. They found and replaced a cracked power crystal with one of the spares from Jacob's Tel'tac. When they finished, the machine appeared to be fully functional. It was now just a matter of placing Jack in the box and starting the healing process.

Teal'c had come to sit beside Daniel and was quietly meditating. His presence was a calming influence on his younger friend. Even though Thor had assured them that if the sarcophagus didn't work he would reactivate the stasis field and put O'Neill back into it immediately. It would still mean that Jack would be actually dead while they proceeded to the Asgard's home world. Once there, a clone could be created to house Jack's conscious mind, but Daniel knew which would be Jack's preference. Even if the body that he presently inhabited was a bit used and abused, it would still be Jack's own.

Finally the time came when Selmac and Jacob pronounced the sarcophagus ready and Sam nervously concurred. Teal'c also had inspected the machine one last time and had announced that as far as he could tell, it would work properly. The Jacob and Teal'c had opened the sarcophagus and it lay awaiting its first Taur'i miracle. Daniel was standing next to the stasis chamber ready to move Jack to the sarcophagus. The Jaffa went to stand next to Daniel to assist in the movement of Jack to the machine. Teal'c caught the younger man's eyes and nodded his encouragement to his friend.

Thor went to his pedestal console and adjusted his control on the panel. Gradually, the faint shimmer that surrounded O'Neill faded and Jack's naked, damaged body lay exposed to the air of the Asgard ship. Slowly, the semi-coagulated red human blood began to drip from the back of O'Neill's damaged head and to ooze lethargically from the more exposed injury in the broad chest.

Teal'c and Daniel carefully slipped their arms under the pliable body and took its weight as the protective field shut down. At Thor's nod, the two men carried Jack's unmoving form the few feet to the waiting device. Very carefully and with great gentleness they lowered his limp form into the interior cavity. As the body touched the floor of the machine, a last sigh was released from Jack's body and he ceased to live as his body's autonomic movements ceased. Daniel reached for his beloved's face and caressed the stubbled cheek and the soft lips one last time. Teal'c reached over and caught the younger man's hand.

"Danieljackson, we must allow the sarcophagus to do its work now."

Daniel could only nod silently. Teal'c then pulled him upright and led him away from the sarcophagus. They stood side by side as the double lid ground shut. There was a moment's pause as they waited with bated breath. Then, finally, a faint humming began to emanate from the ornately carved box.

The big man walked him away, back to stand beside the two Carters. Jacob had his arm around his daughter, hugging her to him. Teal'c laid his hand on the younger man's shoulder. "We must wait. It will take some time to repair all the damage done to him." Daniel could only nod. He knew that it would take forever.

Daniel was again sitting on the floor leaning back against the bare wall of Thor's ship. He had been there for some time, he estimated about an hour. He had no way of knowing how long the healing process would take or if it would even work. The machine's humming seemed to be noticeably louder to him than normal to him, but then it was as quiet as a tomb in the room.

He stared at the metal flooring he was sitting on. There were dribbles of blood that led from the stasis box to the sarcophagus. It had fallen when he and Teal'c carried Jack to the machine earlier and was drying on the silver gray floor of the Asgard Ship. Daniel had also felt the last breath of life leave the man he loved when he and Teal'c had laid Jack in the box. Jack had been truly dead when the lids closed over him.

The others had left him to sit alone with Jack and he was grateful for the solitude. All he wanted to do was sit here and wait for Jack.

The timber of the machine's vibration seemed to change pitch and then slow down, finally shuddering to a halt with an uncharacteristic clank and thud. Daniel hurriedly scrambled to his feet and approached the sarcophagus. As he stood at its side, the vibration ceased all together. There was nothing. The lid should have opened automatically when the healing was complete but the sarcophagus remained obstinately closed.

Daniel looked over his shoulder. "Teal'c! Sam! Come in here! There's something wrong!"

His two team mates came running into the room, with Jacob and Thor following. "Damn," the older man cursed. "There is something wrong! It's not supposed to do this!"

"Dad!"

Jacob motioned to Teal'c to help him. "Open it up! It's malfunctioning!"

The four humans grasped the great lid and began to force it open. After a moment's pause, the split top finally began to grind open, revealing the interior and the man who laid inside. Jack appeared to be sleeping, his lined face relaxed, his lean body still. Had it worked? There was only one way to tell. Daniel reached into the box as the brown eyes opened.

 

Jack felt funny, kinda fuzzy and disoriented. He was lying on a warm hard surface enclosed in stygian blackness. Then light began to filter in through an ever widening crack. He looked around his immediate surroundings and realized that he was in a box, a coffin- shaped box. A sarcophagus. Fuck!

Just as he realized his location, the first thing he saw as the box opened was Daniel's worried face peering down at him. "Daniel?"

"Jack? Jack, can you hear me?"

"Daniel?"

He was greeted by a glorious smile from the younger man. "Jack? How do you feel?"

O'Neill looked around. "Where am I? What am I doing here?"

Daniel turned his head and spoke to someone behind him. "He's okay. He's awake."

"Daniel, am I in a sarcophagus? What am I doing here in a sarcophagus?"

"Jack . . . " the younger man reached in with both hands and pulled him to a sitting position. Daniel repeated his question. "How do you feel?" He stroked Jack's face as if to convince himself that he was real.

Jack looked down at his own body trying to understand what had happened. He was not wearing any clothes. "Daniel, why am I here in a sarcophagus naked?" He saw Thor peering in at him. He asked again. "Daniel, why am I here in a sarcophagus naked with Thor?"

"You are on my ship, O'Neill."

"Daniel, why am I here in a sarcophagus naked on Thor's ship?"

Daniel pulled him out of the box to a standing position and helped him step down onto the deck. He then started examining Jack, running his hands gently over the older man's head, face and down his throat to rest on the broad chest, as if feeling for the beating of his heart.

Jacob and Samantha Carter and Teal'c were watching Daniel and his activities with concern.

Jack stared at them in surprise. "Daniel, why am I here in a sarcophagus naked, on Thor's ship, in front of Jacob, Carter and Teal'c?" He looked at the three newcomers and blushed. "Daniel, give me your shirt."

"What? Oh, sure." Daniel hastily pulled his shirt off and handed it to Jack, who hurriedly wrapped it around his waist covering his essentials.

Jacob was smiling broadly at him. "How do you feel, Jack?"

"Cold, embarrassed, confused and what the hell is going on?"

The older man chuckled softly and replied. "Calm down, Jack. You've had an exciting day, well several days, and don't even know it."

Jack looked around at his friend. "Daniel! What's going on?"

The younger man just continued his hands-on exam, moving around to Jack's back, as if looking for something.

"Sir, you were dead." Sam finally spoke up.

"In stasis." Thor put in.

"You were indeed mostly dead, O'Neill." Teal'c assured him calmly. "Supreme Commander Thor found you, and placed you into a stasis field until we could locate a functioning sarcophagus. It had not been used in a good while and we were concerned over its performance. It does appear to have worked properly though."

"Jeez, ya think?" He finally grabbed Daniel's hands to keep them still and to pull him around back to his front. "You saw me dead? How was I dead?"

The younger man nodded silently. "You were shot in the head and in the chest."

"Shot? With a gun?"

"Yes, sir. I'd say a large caliber, possibly a 9-millimeter or even a forty-caliber." Carter put in helpfully.

Jacob nodded. "You were a mess, Jack."

"Where was I when I was shot?" He was still confused over how things had played out.

"You were in bed, Jack. It was Sunday morning." Daniel answered him, dropping his gaze from the piercing brown eyes.

"Damn. Did you find me?"

"No, Thor did and he brought you here. I had left on a mission with SG13 earlier. When I got back, I was arrested Tuesday morning when I came in to work."

"You? You were arrested? Why?"

"We went to your house, Sir. We found . . . the crime scene, but your body, you were gone."

Jack sat up in the box. "But why arrest Daniel?"

"Well," Daniel replied calmly. "I was the last person to see you alive . . . and my fingerprints were all over the house."

Jack thought of what they must have found and nodded. Of course Daniel would be suspect. He had left his house early Sunday morning to head into the SGC. Jack had gone back to sleep because it was so early. Daniel's fingerprints were everywhere in his bed room and the joining bathroom. That's why he was naked. He remembered their late night activities and early morning farewell and then going back to sleep. He had evidently not woken up nor had he been meant to . . . ever again. "Sorry."

"It wasn't like you planned it, Jack." Jacob said softly.

"So, everyone thinks I'm dead?"

"Yes sir, the large amount of blood in your bedroom gave that impression." Sam answered him with a catch in her voice. "You didn't come to work Monday morning and General Hammond thought you'd just overslept. He sent Teal'c and me to your house to look for you. All we found was your bloody bed and your clothes on the floor. We called the police and they found Daniel's fingerprints all over your bedroom area."

He looked angry. "Didn't you explain that he was my house guest that night?"

"Yes, sir. Of course I did. I just couldn't understand the uh, evidence on the sheets, or why Daniel had been in your bed." She turned pink under his stunned look. "I didn't have an explanation for that. I could only plead don't ask, don't tell." Carter shrugged.

"Damn!" Jack murmured and looked at Daniel. "So they came after you left, but before I woke up?"

Daniel nodded.

"Do you think they were after both of us?"

"I don't know, Jack." The younger man said quietly.

Jack looked at his lover in concern. Daniel was certainly not acting like himself. He was too quiet, too uncommunicative. He glanced around at the group. "Uh, look, I, uh, really appreciate all of your concern but I think I need some time here with Daniel. Can we have a minute or two . . . in private?"

Jacob immediately picked up on the meaning of the other man's hesitant request. "Sure, Jack. I'm sure we all understand. Don't we kids?"

Teal'c nodded. "Indeed, Jacobcarter. Commander Thor, may we retire to your command section for a short period of time?"

"Certainly." Thor replied, looking at the two humans impassively. "I would like to speak with General Carter and Selmac of the recent events of the Tok'ra. I have not had news of them in some time. And we must discuss the Goa'uld you brought to my ship." The four of them exited through an archway, leaving Jack and Daniel alone. O'Neill looked at his partner in concern. Daniel was staring at the floor directly in front of Jack's bare feet. Finally, he looked up and there was suspicious dampness sparkling in the blue eyes. Jack could bear it no longer and he took a step forward to enfold the younger man in his arms. As he tightened his grip on his lover, Jack asked. "What Goa'uld?"

The fair-haired head dropped onto his shoulder and he wrapped his arms around Jack's waist.

"Hey, you all right?" He could feel the tremors in the beloved body that he held in his arms, if he couldn't hear the voice. "Danny?"

The voice was now audible. "Yes?"

"I love you."

The arms increased their pressure to almost bone breaking intensity. "Jack."

"Yeah, I'm here."

"Jack."

"I know, babe, I know." He could feel the other man trembling in his arms. "I've got you. We're okay."

"Too close."

"Way too close."

"Don't . . . don't do that again . . . okay?"

"Believe me. I didn't plan on it this time." Jack hooked his fingers under the jaw that was pressing on his shoulder and tilted the flushed face up to his. He took Daniel in a close hard kiss. The lips were salty tasting. "I love you, ya know."

"I know," the younger man whispered before he resumed the kiss. "I know. But . . . "

"Yeah, I gotcha." He then allowed himself the pleasure of getting lost in a Jackson induced haze.

After a few moments of luxuriating in their own world of relief, the two men separated. "So . . . tell me." Jack asked softly.

Daniel nodded, gathering his wits and feelings back inside. "I left that morning and went on the mission. When you didn't come to work Monday morning, the General sent Sam and Teal'c to your place to find you. They found your house broken into and your bed soaked in blood." He shrugged. "They thought you were dead. When I got back with SG13, Simmons had me arrested for your murder."

"I don't get it." Jack stared at him in amazement. "Why you?"

"I was the last one to see you alive, Jack." Daniel tried to find reason in the unreasonable idea. "My fingerprints and uh, other evidence proved I was there in your bedroom." He shrugged again. "It makes sense."

"Daniel, nothing here makes sense." He hugged the younger man to him again. "How did I get here?"

Daniel had to smile. "Jacob told you. Thor has great timing. He was trying to contact you, beamed you up and realized you were mostly dead. He put you in a stasis field until he could find out what happened."

"And you?"

"Some of the SGC personnel got me away from Simmons, Maybourne got me out of the area and Jacob picked me up from him." He explained. "We came here to Marduk's planet to find the sarcophagus . . . and it worked."

"Marduk?"

"Yes." After a moment he continued. "Major Vallarin is still alive thanks to Marduk. When the others took the sarcophagus he came after them."

"So, he's here."

Selmac is taking him back to Vorash. Maybe they can get rid of the Gould."

"That would be good."

"Almost as good as you." Jack and Daniel looked over at the sarcophagus.

"And we got a box for the Doc." Jack commented.

"No, actually, I think we broke it." Daniel said. "It sounded funny . . . different . . . when it stopped."

Jack looked from it to his lover. "Oh."

Daniel hugged him close in a bone crushing grip. "Yes, oh."

All Jack could do was kiss him.

 

Simmons was frowning at the Goa'uld that had been Adrian Conrad. "Do you realize what you've done?"

"I hired an underling to eradicate a nuisance." The creature replied. "I find it interesting that your kind has no loyalty to their own species."

"And what about Jackson?"

Conrad shook his head dismissively. "He was not there. There will be another time and place."

The NID colonel shook his head. "Don't you get it? You can't go around killing people. You'll be discovered."

The Goa'uld looked at him with a frown. "I did not do anything, Colonel Simmons. I have not left this place. The Taur'i Ashrak I paid did it." Conrad frowned. "Though he did not do a good job. You are correct. Jackson needs to be taken also. I will not use that one again."

"No!" Simmons said firmly. "You will not attempt it again . . . at all." He frowned at the other. "You cannot go around hiring hit men to kill people here. Someone will find out and that will be the end of you and of our deal."

"Our deal . . . as you call it, is not satisfactory." The alien's deep voice replied as his eyes flashed. "You promised me concessions. You have not delivered."

"Look," Simmons started to try to explain again to the alien but then thought the better of it. "You're right. It's not working." He reached into his pocket and pulled out his 9-millimeter service weapon and pointed it at Conrad. "You are not working out at all." Before the alien could react, Simmons snapped off a shot that hit Adrian Conrad's body and the Goa'uld dropped to the floor.

The NID agent then pulled his cell phone and hit a memory button. "Griggs? Simmons here. Come to the apartment and pick up a package. We need more security than is available here. Yes, I'll be waiting." He disconnected the phone. "Damn." He shook his head, looking down at the wounded Goa'uld. "I thought we understood each other."

The Goa'uld's eyes flashed at him as the creature lay on the floor looking up at him. "It is you that do not understand, human. I will kill you. I am your God!"

"Sorry," Simmons looked at the alien. "I'm an atheist."

 

Down in the gateroom, the first chevron lit up as the activation sequence began. Walter Davis slammed down his cup of coffee, spilling the hot liquid onto the desk surface. He looked over his shoulder toward the General's briefing room. "Unauthorized Gate Activation!"

"Close the iris." Hammond entered the control room at a run. "Who's off-world?"

"SG-4, SG-11 and SG-17, sir." Davis' hand hovered over the iris control. "And of course SG-1 is still, uhm, missing."

The computer began beeping as more information was transmitted to it through the wormhole. Davis glanced at it, Hammond looked over his shoulder. "Its Morse code, I think its SG-1 sir."

"So, I see, Sergeant. Let's just hope its good news from our missing people."

Walter reached up to grab a pencil and started jotting letters down. It is SG-1, sir. They're calling in. The . . . the Colonel is okay!" He grinned up at the officer. "They're requesting permission to come through the Stargate."

"Give it, Sergeant. Give it to them and open the iris."

The Sergeant quickly activated the shielding over the Stargate and it ground open. He then opened the microphone for transmission. "SG-1."

"Hello, George." The familiar tones of Jacob Carter answered his hail. "I have a special delivery package for you . . . one full bird colonel, hale and hearty; ; ; and some other people . . . I think they're a matched set."

"Not that I'm complaining, Jacob, but how did you manage all of this."

"Well, it seems there was a working sarcophagus just laying around on that nice little desert planet you gave us directions to." They could hear the chuckle in his voice. "And since I was in the neighborhood I thought I'd check it out. Oh, by the way, does Danny still need a lawyer? I can recommend some good JAGs."

"Well, Jacob, I think the lack of a body might cause the case against him to be dismissed."

"Oh, there's still a body, it's just rather active for a murder victim. Aren't you Jack?"

"Hi there, General. Just wondering if we can come home. I guess I have a little housecleaning to do."

"Yeah, Jack. I'd say you're in the market for some new bedding."

"So, I hear."

"Well, come on home people. I'll be happy to advise Colonel Simmons that the reports of your death have been greatly exaggerated."

"Oh, I'm sure he'll be pleased as punch."

"The door is open, Colonel." Hammond turned and smiled as Doctor Fraiser entered the Gateroom at a run.

Four figures emerged from the virtual liquid of the event horizon. Fraiser continued her jog to meet the Colonel on the ramp.

"There's someone here who really wants to see you." Hammond continued into the microphone at his returning team.

"Colonel?" the diminutive Doctor looked at him critically.

"Hi Doc." He flinched as she grabbed him by the wrist. "Doc, Janet, I'm fine . . . really. The kids found a sarcophagus with my name on it. All better . . . see!"

She stepped back and frowned at him. "I will. Believe me."

"Is that a threat?" Jack looked at her in amazement. "Doooccc." He whined "I've been sarcophagussed. I'm well."

"You're not well until I say you're well, Colonel, and you know it."

Jack looked up at the observation window. "General?"

"Go with her, Colonel, and the rest of SG-1 also. You know the drill . . . and report to me afterwards for a debriefing."

"Yes, sir." Jack scowled at his friend the doctor. "Okay, ya got me, doc."

"I know, Colonel, I know." She smiled up at him. "Let's go."

 

Daniel and Jack climbed into the silver Audi and headed for the neat apartment building that housed the Jackson residence. They weren't ready to go to Jack's house to see the carnage that had been described to them by the others. It was enough that they were both back safe and, in Jack's case, sound.

Pulling into the parking area and going into the apartment building, they had barely gotten the elevator door closed when Daniel pulled Jack into his arms and pushed him back against the wall. He just stood there holding him tightly.

"Hey, Danny. I'm all right, I'm here and I'm not going anywhere." Jack murmured into the short chestnut colored brush of hair. "It was a mistake. I'm not dead."

"Wrong, Jack. It wasn't a mistake." The soft voice murmured into his ear. "It was murder. You were dead. When I put you into the sarcophagus, I felt you leave me." Daniel nuzzled his neck. "And I knew I couldn't follow you right then. I would have to wait."

"Thor said he would have fixed me up."

"He was going to have to clone you." Daniel pulled back to look into the beloved warm brown eyes. "It would have been six to eight months before you came back to me."

"Yeah, I'm really not hot on the clone idea anyway." He sighed and kissed the full warm lips close to his. "This body is old and beaten up, but it's in pretty much original mode. Besides, it's the first one I made love to you with. It has sentimental value."

Daniel grinned up at him. "You're such a romantic."

"That's me all right. Sappy Jack." The elevator car sounded its bell as they reached the 7th floor.

The younger man released him from the hug. "Come on, Sappy Jack. Lets go mess up my bed before dinner."

Jack pulled him back into a full body clinch. "Let's be sure everything is all locked up, security system is on high and Carl knows not to let anyone in."

Daniel laughed. "Carl also knows not to disturb us when we're up here."

The older man looked at him suspiciously. "How does he know that?"

"He knows I must never be disturbed while I'm examining and categorizing my ancient artifacts."

Jack had to sputter laughingly. "Is that what I am to you . . . an ancient artifact?"

Daniel looked at him with a soft smile. "Yes. You are an invaluable, priceless, delicate, irreplaceable, inestimable, artifact from a lost age of courage, bravery, morality and chivalry."

"Whoa, there. I think you have me confused with a younger guy, an errant archaeologist I know. He's the only knight in shining armor I'm familiar with."

"No, he's just a mild-mannered professor . . . a very lucky one, but a dweeb just the same."

Jack pulled Daniel back into his arms. "And he's mine. All mine." The older man grinned. "Come on, lets go find that bed that I know that is upstairs here. I'm tired . . . rough day ya know."

Daniel only looked at him and nodded with a serious expression. "I know." He kissed Jack then led him out of the elevator and to his apartment. He unlocked the door and led the older man by the hand until they reached the bedroom. Without a word, he started to undress O'Neill who stood quietly, watching his younger lover with an amused expression on his face. When the shirt was off, the trousers unfastened and they and boxers pooled around his ankles, Jack sat down on the mattress. Daniel single-mindedly removed shoes, socks and clothing. Having stripped Jack without a word, he quickly shed his own clothing and then pushed him back to lie down on top of the long lean body.

He stared down at Jack, as if memorizing the already well known face, running his sensitive fingers down the high cheekbone, the straight nose and gently stroked the quirking lips, which sucked his fingertips in.

With a slight smile, Jack nibbled on the long slender digits. "Hey, I'm all right, Danny." He licked up the middle finger, nursing on it.

"We almost lost everything, Jack."

"That's the risk we take. You know that. Any day . . . someone or something can hurt us . . . kill us outright or cause irreparable damage."

The younger man laid his head down on the broad chest, listening to the rhythmic thrumming of the heart. He nodded, not speaking.

Jack brought his hand up to stroke the soft hair, petting his lover, trying to calm the sadness. "We won this time."

"With a lot of help, Jack." The soft voice answered him. "A whole lot of help from our friends."

"I know." There was nothing more to say. They lay there together, wrapped in each others arms and their own thoughts. "Sleep, Danny. We've got two days off, then another mission prep begins. We need to settle this and put it behind us."

Another nod brushed across his torso. "I know. I just . . . wonder who it was."

"So, do I." Jack murmured to his lover. "So do I."

"Where are we going next?"

"Oh, we're being assigned a training mission with some new recruits. You remember Hailey, Carter's little friend? The one Carter brought to the Firefly moon?"

"No, I didn't meet her then. I was on a dig that mission."

"Oh, yeah." Jack chuckled. "Well, she and three others of the Academy's best and brightest are gonna get a real training scenario to test them out. It should be fun." Jack could feel the smile curving Daniel's lips.

"Oh, yes. Lieutenants Elliot, Grogan, and Satterfield." He snuggled down onto the warmth of Jack's arms. "Are you going to make me the bad guy again?"

"Well, we'll just have to see." Jack pulled back. "Convince me."

"Why yes, sir. Colonel O'Neill sir." Daniel turned his head and bit a soft nipple.

"Ouch!"

Mobile eyebrows raised as the warm tongue apologized. "Convincing enough?"

"Nope, ya gotta do better than that, smart guy. Ouch!" Jack looked at him down his nose. "Say, wait a minute. Isn't Satterfield the one that has a crush on you?"

Daniel looked down at his supine partner with a grin. "Could be."

"Oh, so you have noticed?"

"Of course I noticed. When I was doing my graduate work, there were a few students who thought they liked me more than was possible."

"A few?"

"Okay, a couple."

"I'd say quite a few."

"Jaaack."

O'Neill chuckled and spoke in a falsetto voice. "Oh, oh, Professor Jackson . . . explain to me again the difference between an obelisks and a stele. Oh, oh, Mister Jackson . . . Are Ziggurats always great big mounds. Oh, oh, Daniel . . . "

The younger man reached down to gently stroke Jack's erection and then cradle his heavy balls in his hand. "Oh, oh, Doctor O'Neill, you know perfectly well that the best steles are usually erect, where sometimes obelisks are round and fully formed . . . like finely shaped orbs."

"Oh, really . . . and what should one do with these orbs . . . and stele . . . Doctor?" The voice in Daniel's ear had gotten deeper and more seductive."

"I would say . . . though I could be wrong . . . that these artifacts should be handled carefully and examined closely." The stroking fingers continued their investigation of Jack's private regions. "And perhaps they are worth some experimental probing . . . you know, with the right scientific implements there may be interesting results that occur in the proper venue."

"Oh, Doctor Jackson. Oh, I certainly do hope so." Jack answered him breathlessly before his words were cut off with a kiss.

Daniel chuckled deep in his throat as he leaned down to Jack. "I do love a good excavation."

finish


End file.
